Acetylene-generator.



RETAGGARTQ AOETYLENE GENERATOR. APPLIGATION FILED DBO.6,1907-.

Patented 0011.27, 1908.

VIII! In Man/27w:

ELMER E. raeeanr, on NEW YORK, Ni. Y.

aclmrnn'n eismsnamon.

No. spaces.

ii To all whom it may concern:

\ inclined toward a large pi e B leading from the tank to the exterior 0 the hull and contor tank and its connections alone.

Be'it known that I, ELMER E. TAGGART, a citizen of the United States, residin in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification. The invention relates to means for roducmg acetylene gas and more particularl y to apparatus for use on shipboard.

The'object of the lnvention is to offer a simple, inexpensive apparatus, easily and economically installed and maintained, which shall be efiicient and eminently safe inits operation.

. The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described. y

The accompanying drawings form a part of this s ecification and show approved forms of t e invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section partly in elevation, showing the invention as a plied in a vessel. Fig; 2 is an elevation of tlielgenerai 3 is a vertical section on a larger scale, p artly! in elevation, with the funnel-shaped part1- tion omitted showing the means for controlling'the deliveryof the carbid. Fig. 4 is a vertical section and elevation of a safety de vice. Fig. 5 is a face view of a portion of such device.

, parts in allthe figures.

Similar letters of reference lndicate like Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, A'is the hull of a vessel, B is a strong tank fastened securely therein below the waterline of the vessel. and stationary relatively thereto. The tank has a closed bottom B preferably In the upper pored partition to which the rolled by a sea-cock B tion of the tank is a funnel-sha C forming the carbid chamber charge of orifice in the top of the tank closed by. the

c screwgap or th gas tight closure.

- tion,- oneon each si The discharge orifice c in the bottom of the partition 9 's controlled by two vertically swinging'gates D Ddpivoted below the art1- ing oppositely extending arms D 1) com ipeeiflcation. 5: Letters Patent. l

Application moan tws, 1907. Serial No. tomes.

charge of h D D held'in the closed position b the he exterior 'ater an float and Mala $6 a portion of carbid is supplied through a filling I .livered, agam driving The changes thus caused in the .volume of water in the tank produce currents, in the alternating in direction except at such times when the generation is constant ;i'

of the orifice an" hav- Patented Oct.27, 1908.

nected by links D D in the generating cham er E.

Gas generated by contact of the carbid with the water escapes through the deliverv pjlpe E and branch E controlled by a cock 3 to the interior of a small gas-holder or pressure regulator F consisting of an open topped casin p rtially filled with water and containing a e 1 F"w1thin which the branch pipe E terminz' 'te and adapted to rise and sink as the as p 'essure varies. From the top of the be 1 ext nds a link F ivoted to a lever E?! on the (ink E? whereby the flow from the generat is controlled and the gas passing from-the nterior of the bell through theservicepi e i automaticallymaintained at the desired se ice pressure.

The pi e E is preferably extended to a considerable .hei t and is provided with a I descending branc i or leg E serving as a relief pipeconnected to the Water pi e B'f on the sea side of the sea-cock'B or ot ierwise leadin to the water outside the hull of the vessel.

he operation of the apparatus is as follows:Assu ming the sea-cock B to be closed, the screw-capC is removed and a jcarbid introduced, retained by the gates gravity of the float D, and the cap rep aced (and again tightly seoured- The sea-cock is 't'liien opened and water enters the tank, rising in the lattef'until the pressure of the imsufficiently to lift the the carbid; the trot with the water generates latter by co 0 gas as usual, v eproduction contmuing until the-gas pressure is great enough to force dowh th water level in the tank and through the gra i'ty of th float again to .close t e gates. as thus generated flows thropgh the pipe E and branch pipe 1L mtothe bell F which rises as the'service ressure is exceeded and shuts the gas 000 E until the service pressure again falls. When the ressure o f gas in the tank falls the water .lprisoned .air o gas} eguals that induced by evel again rises and a fresh supply of carbid is de- 7 down the water level.

pipe B7 each outflow carries withi-t v'rtiated water and. spent. carbid delivered at the mouth .of

newing the water.

the pipe by the inclined bottom-B of the H is a draw-off cock by which the water level in the generating chamber can belowereel sufliciently to insure the closing of the carbid orifice c in re-charging with carbid after the sea-eoe'kflhas been shut'ofl', and J is a circular gratirig": r latform secured to the bottomB beneath t e opening in'the float to receive the carbid as it falls and provide a resting place therefor during decomposition.-

K is a cap forming a water seal for the 0 en end of the branch pipe E within the bel F to prevent the return of gas from the bell and service pipe.

' The leg E of the pipe E is sealed by water standing therein at thesame level as in" the tank B andis always openyits function is to rovide a harmless escape for gas to the exterior of the-vessel if excessive pressures are accidentally developed in the tank through excessive feeding of carbid. The pipe E and leg E are extended above the water line of the vessel so that when the screw-ca C is removed water cannot enter through tliese pi esand flood the tank.

l 11 order to guard against flooding by inadvertently removing the screw cap before closing the sea-cock, a safety device for these parts of the apparatus may be employed; a simple mechanism for this purpose 18 shown consisting of a chain L from the lever B of the sea-cock to the screw-cap and extendingthrough a lug L on the upper part of the tank having a keyhole-slot Z therein." The chain is of such length as to prevent the removal of the cap while the sea-cock is in the open condition, and the slot is so shaped as to permit the chain to be passed therethrough, aided by the hands, when sufiicient slack is furnished by shutting off the sea-cock to allow the cap to be unscrewed. The engagement of the chain with the slot holds-the sea- -'cock in the'closed condition until the cap is re-a plied and the chain again drawn through the arger portion of the slot to supply the slack required to permit the re-opening of the sea-cock.

Other safety or tell-tale means may be eniployed for this or other portionsoi the apparatus or by exercising care the a paratus may be operated without them, an modifications oi the forms and proportions of the parts may be made without departing from the principle of the invention, the essential features of which are the tank with tightly closed to and open communication from the bottom t ereof to the water in which thevessel floats or is submerged.

It will be noted that the tank is secured to the vessel and that the usual floating bell with its water seal is ehmmated- The vanaflow ofwater in one direction or the othertions i-n'spaee required by variations in volume of gas generated are provided by changes of water level inthe tank, and each alternate change of water level induces acorresponding through the water pipe B Thereisno open-. l

ening'throughwhichgas can escapeyfrom the generator to the interior of the vessel; the" pressure regulator controls the flowto the service pipe and any excesspressure is harmlessly relieved through-the pipes leading to the water outside-the hull, r r

Importance is attachedto the location of the pipefE relatively "to. the water level in the tankand the dischar e orifice from the carbid chamber. I When the supply of carbid is exhausted and'the gas pressure reduced by i consumption, the waterlevel in the ta'nk'will tend to rise to the water line of the vesselunless the sea-cock B be elos edjby locatin the entrance to the pipe E below the carbi chamber and above a line, reached by the water level in its normal fluctuations any further rise covers the end of the pipe E imprisons the remainin gas in theupper ortion of the tank, an canonly rise to a evel at which the pressure of the compressed as equals the pressure due to height of water inc, and the parts are so thus to check the rise be ore the water reaches the carbid chamber.

roportioned as It is also important that the branch pipe E extend above the water linetolinsure against possible flooding of the pressure regulator and service ipe.

The tank will usua y relieve itself of ex: cess pressure through the 'ipe B but if the sea-cock be turned to the s ut position while reli pipe E still permits excess gas to escape harmlessly. i

claim:-

1. A floating structure, a tank disposed within saidstructure and closedzat its upper end, a carbid chaniber'inthe upper portion of 'said tank, means for supplying water under pressure from the water floating such struc-- I tureto the portion of said t'ank below said carbidchamberfland means controlled by the gates D D are in the act of feeding, the l the constantly varyin quantity of water in said tankthrough sue supply for automatically controllingthe feed of the carbid to suchwater.

v 2; A floating structure, a'tank disposed within said structure and closed at its upper; end, a carbid chamber in the upper portion of said tank, means for supplying water under pressurefrom the water floating such structure to 'the )ortion of said tank below said carbid. cham er,' and meanscontrolledby the constantly varyinglquantity of water in said tank through sue supply for automatically'controlling the feed of the carbidto such water, the bottom of said carbid receptacle beingat all times above the highest water level in the tank and below the level 1 whereby the closing of the sea-cock is neces of the water floating said structure.

3. A tank closed at its upper end, a carbid chamber in the upuer portion of said tank, a pipe for supplying water under pressure to the portion of said tank below said carbid chamber, means controlled by the constantly varying quantity of water in said tank for automaticz'illy controlling the feed of the carbid to such watenand means exteriorly of the tank for discharging the excess of gas.

downward through said water-supplying pipef 4. A floating structure, a tank therein closed at its upper end, carbid supplying means with its discharge end at all times above the highest water level in said tank, a pipe for su iplying water under pressure from the water floating such structure to the bottom of said tank and automatically discharging the spent carbid therefrom throu h said water supplypipe, and means controlled by the constantly varying quantity of water in said tank for automatically controlling the feed of the carbid to such water.

5. A floating structure, a tank therein closed at its upper end, carbid su plying means with its discharge .end at a times above the hi hest water level in said tank, a pipe for supp ying water under pressure from the water floating such structure to the bottom of said tank and automatically discharg:

ing the spent carbid therefrom throu b said 7 water supply pipe, and means contro led by the constantly varying quantity of water in said tank for automatically controlling the feed of'the carbid to such water and insuring means with its dischar e end at al a constantly varying quantity of water in the tank.

6. A floating structure, a tank therein closed at its upper end, earbid supplying times above the hi hest water evel in said tank, a

pipe for supp ying water under pressure from the water floating such structure to the bottom of said tank and automatically discharging the spent carbid therefrom through said water supply pipe, means controlled by the V constantly varying uantity 0% water in said tank for automatically controlling the feedof the carbid to such water and insuring a constantly varying quantity of Water in the tank, and means for automatically discharging the, excess of gas through the water sup p y p' r y 7. A tank, av carbld chamber in the upper portion thereof, a filling orifice for said chamber, a closure for said orifice, a floating struc- I ture to which said tank is secured with-its 1: ,lower portion below the water.line ofsaid structure, a pipe leading from the interior of such lower portion through said structure to the water exterior thereto, a sea-cock in said hamber to the water in said tank, and cone'ctions from said sea-cock to saidclosure -p1pe;-means for delivering carbid from said discharging itfrom sal sitated prior to the removal of said closure,

and the replacement of the latter necessitated before the said sea-cock can be re-opened.

8. Atank closed at the top, afloating structure to which said tank is secured with its lower portion below the water line of said structure, a pipe leading from the interior of such lower portion through said structure to the water exterior thereto, a sea-cock in said pipe, means'for delivering carbid to the water in said tank, a gas delivery pipe from said tank, a pressure regulator in said delivery pipe, and a gas relief pipe leading from the interior of said tank above the water level therein to the exterior of said structure below the water line thereof.

9. A floating structure, a tank therein, a pipe connecting the bottom of said tank to the water exterior oisaid structure and having therein a normally open valve whereby the exterior water is continuously automatically delivered to and discharged from said tank, and a carbid feed havin a discharge openingat all times above the ighest water level in said tank and automatically conltrolled by the varying water level in said tan 10. A tankclosed at the top, a floating structure to which said tank is secured with the lower portion thereof below the water line of said structure, communicating means between the exterior of said structure and the interior of said tank whereby water flows to and from the latter, means for delivering carbid to the water in the lower portion of said tank, and a gas relief ipe extending from the interior of said tan and into the water-supplying means to the water exterior to said structure.

11. A closed tank, a pipe for continuously and automatically sup lyin (l tank and removin the spent carbid, a carbid chamber insai tank above the highest water level therein, gates controlling the dischar e from said chamber, a float actuated by t e constantly varying waterlevel in said tank and pivotal connections between said gates and float, the whole arranged for continuous automatic operation.

12. A closed tank, a pipe for continuously and automatically sup lying water to and discharging it from said tank'and removin the-spent carbid, a carbid chamber in sai tank above the highest water level therein, gates controlling the discharge. from said chamber, a float actuated by the constantly varying water level in said tank, pivotal connections between said gates and float, the whole arranged for continuous automatic operation, and a pipe leading from a point a water to and 13. A closed tank, a floating structure carryin the same, a su ply pi e'for con- ,tinuous y'and automatica 1y su p ying Water operation, and a pipe leading from a point ove the highest water level in said tank to a point above the level of the exterior Water floating said structure and thence down- Wardand discharging into the Water-supplying pipe. 7 I

--1 A closed tank, a floating structure carrying the same, a pipe for continuously and automatically supp ying Water to and I discharging it from said tank and removin the spentcarbid, a carbid chamber 1n sai tank above the highest water level therein,

gates controlling the dischar e from said chamber, a float actuated by t e constantly varying Water level in said tank, pivotal connections between said gates and float, the Whole arranged for continuous automatic operation, and a ipe leading from the tank above the water evel thereof and discharging through the Water supply pipe into the exterior Water.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER E. TAGGART.

Witnesses:

CHARLES R. SEARLE, H. J. PETERSEN. 

